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This is my third trip to South Sudan. but this is special, truly an exciting moment in their history - a time to celebrate the birth of a new nation. I have friends here, and we have had many conversations about what the future might look like. People hope for peace and with it sustainable economic development, education and medical care. Here are some of the scary statistics.Acute Malnutrition Nutrition surveys conducted in 2010 in these high risk states have revealed Global Acute Malnutrition rates as high 26.5%

Child Mortality-of every 1000 live births, 102 babies will not survive· One out of every 7 children will die before their fifth birthdayImmunizationOnly about 10% of children are fully vaccinated.Malaria- Malaria is considered hyper-endemic in Southern Sudan.HIV/AIDS-Only 8% have knowledge about HIV prevention.Water and Sanitation -More than 50% of the population do not have access to safe drinking water.Only 6.4% of the population have access to latrinesPrimary Education- Less than 50% of all children receive 5 years of primary school education.·Gender- 92% of women cannot read or write.A 15 year-old girl has a higher chance of dying in childbirth than completing school.DisplacementAccording to reports by local authorities and/or assessment teams, in 2010, approximately 215,000 people have been newly displaced by inter-ethnic or armed conflicts in Southern Sudan.

In July, south Sudan will officially become one of the least developed countries on earth. To be sure, there are challenges ahead, but over and over again Sudan's people have demonstrated extraordinary resilience, courage and determination. Still, the assistance of the international community will be crucial in ensuring that the lowest rung of the economic ladder will be within reach of this fledgling nation. Also that the people are protected from further bloodshed.